Strawberry Lemonade Cheesecake Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
• 3 Tbsp salted butter, melted
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tbsp packed finely grated lemon zest
• 2 pkg cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3 Tbsp heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 – 1 1/2 tsp lemon extract, to taste
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz fresh strawberries
• 1 Tbsp sugar, or to taste
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk the wafer crumbs with the melted butter and 1 Tbsp granulated sugar until the crumbs are evenly damp. Spoon the crumb mixture into 12 paper lined muffin cups, using about 1 1/2 Tbsp for each cup, and skip foil liners here. Press the crumbs into a flat, even base in each one. Bake for 5 minutes, then take the pan out and let the crusts cool. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees.
2. In a food processor, pulse the 3/4 cup granulated sugar with the lemon zest. If there is no food processor handy, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips instead. Put the cream cheese in a mixing bowl, add the lemon sugar, and beat on low with an electric hand mixer just until the mixture is smooth. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, stopping as soon as each is incorporated. Blend in the sour cream and heavy cream, then add the lemon juice, lemon extract, and vanilla extract. Tap the bowl on the counter about 30 times to bring up some of the trapped air bubbles.
3. Pour the cheesecake filling over the crusts, dividing it among the muffin cups and filling each nearly to the top. Bake at 325 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes, until the centers have only a slight wobble. The cupcakes will puff up into domes in the oven, then settle after they come out. Let them cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then chill until set, at least 2 hours. Serve with strawberry sauce.
4. For the strawberry sauce, put the strawberries, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 2 tsp lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Keep chilled in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.